Charm Bracelet Birthday
by RobertDowneyJrLove
Summary: It's super long!


The loud scream of her cell phone forced Melissa Wu to open her eyes. Groaning as she forced her heavy, sleepy brown eyes open, she reached over to her dark purple painted nightstand and grabbed her cell phone. She grumbled as she touched the screen to answer the call and brought the phone up to her ear. She looked over at her desk and found a vase full of white roses and purple orchids sitting there with a birthday card.

"'Lo?" She greeted sleepily.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!" His soft, husky voice drifted over the phone. Her eyes flew open as she sat up in pure, unadulterated excitement. She sat up and shoved the covers off her legs before getting out of bed.

"Thank you," Melissa smiled as she padded over to her desk and grabbed the birthday card. She opened it up and found a simple message written inside of a sky blue birthday card with a glittery birthday message on the front. "You're too sweet."

"Listen I have to go, I'll see you later, okay?" Jackson told her softly. "My Mom's calling me for breakfast."

"Alright, see you later." Melissa giggled sweetly, "Bye Jackson."

"Bye Sweetheart." Jackson chuckled as they hung up.

She padded downstairs and found her mom, Sandy in the kitchen. Her brother, Tyler, was in the living room playing video games and from the sound of it, her dad, Richard was mowing the lawn. The smell of chocolate chip-blueberry pancakes greeted her as she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a glass.

"I just made the lemonade, honey." Sandy smiled as she watched her daughter pad around the kitchen, making a glass of lemonade. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you, Mom." Melissa smiled as she took a sip of her lemonade.

"Happy Birthday, little sis!" She heard Tyler call from the living room.

"Thanks Big bro!" Melissa laughed, taking another sip from her glass.

"Your father is getting the yard ready and I have to go to the store and pick up a couple of more things for later," Sandy told her daughter as she planted a kiss on her head. "I'll be back a little while."

Sandy walked out of the kitchen, grabbed her purse and keys and left the house. Melissa sighed as she walked into the living room and watched her brother play video games. The fake gunfire, odd vocabulary and constant flashing made her dizzy as she watched him rapidly press buttons on his controller, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"I'm going to take a shower-do try not to melt your brains while I'm gone." Melissa quipped as she padded up the stairs, "And he was a straight A student. Yea, sure."

"I heard that!" Tyler called, "Contrary to what you may think, your voice carries."

"I know-I just choose to ignore it." Melissa laughed stopping halfway up the stairs, "Contrary to what you might think, there is such thing as regular television, try it sometime-you might find you like it."

"You just don't appreciate the awesomeness of Halo 3." Tyler laughed as he paused the game and turned to his sister. "And aren't you the one who bought it for me?"

"That was before I realized that the Playstation 3 that you got for your birthday wouldn't be hooked up to any of three other televisions in this household." Melissa growled playfully, "If I had known, I would've bought you a freakin' board game! At least then, I could hear myself think."

"Ouch. Sis, that hurts!" Tyler winced as he put his hand on his heart, pretending to be hurt by her comment.

"Yea it hurts alright, it's gonna hurt even more when I shove that controller where the freakin' sun don't shine!" Melissa quipped with a pseudo-innocent grin. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the shower."

Tyler laughed as his sister ran up the stairs and went back to his game when he heard her door slam and the shower start running. She was two years younger than him and had already been through more than he could ever imagine going through. The island had changed his sister and out of that entire experience she had come back with her best friend in the entire world and wit.

xxxx

"Ty, get the door!"

Tyler groaned as he paused his game and went to get the door while his sister finished making herself presentable. He opened the door and found Jackson on the other side. Despite his troubled past, Tyler had come to like the guy and Jackson did seem to sincerely love Melissa. He laughed and invited him in, before walking to the base of the stairs.

"Oh, Melly!" Tyler called playfully, "Your boyfriend is here!"

"Tyler," Melissa yelled as she appeared at the top of the stairs in a white tank top and black sweat-pants that had been cut off several inches above the knee. She was dragging a brush through her long black hair. "Shove it, before I come down there and shove your stupid controller in places no controller should ever go!"

"Go ahead-just know you'll be buying the replacements." Tyler smirked at his sister.

"Shove it, Tyler Evan!" Melissa snapped, glaring at her brother.

"You, Melissa Aviana!" Tyler snapped back, glaring at her.

Jackson cut his gaze back and forth between them as they snapped at each other, all hints of playfulness gone. He stepped in front of Tyler and shoved Melissa's brother back a few steps before starting up the steps.

"Geez!" Jackson grumbled, "I've heard of siblings fighting but this is something new!"

He guided Melissa back to her room and closed the door. He watched her as she sat at her vanity and forced the sparkly midnight blue brush through her hair. She was angry-the glint in her eyes and stony expression was evidence of that. He watched as she furiously ripped the brush through a particularly nasty tangle.

"Melissa!" Jackson exclaimed as he rushed over and snatched the brush out of her hand. "You're pulling hair out."

He tossed the brush on the bed and grabbed her arm, pulling her up to him. Her eyes softened and her expression neutralized as she stared at him. Her eyes shot down to stare at the white carpet of her bedroom.

"Melissa? What's wrong, baby?" Jackson asked her softly.

"It's nothing, that just a few minutes ago-we do it all the time. A playfully fight turns into a real, not so playful fight." Melissa explained with a sigh. "We'll have forgotten about it by this afternoon."

Jackson just nodded as he wrapped one arm around her waist and buried the other in her wet hair before crashing his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she opened her mouth and let him deepen the kiss. He could feel the cool wetness of her black hair slipping through his fingers, the sharpness of the cold water she had rinsed her hair with stimulating the nerve endings between his fingers. Melissa unconsciously stepped back to avoid being stepped on as he stepped forward and pressed his body into hers.

"Happy-" Jackson mumbled, nibbling on her lower lip, "-Birthday, baby."

"Hmmm." Melissa whimpered as his teeth sunk into the soft, tender skin of her lips. She could feel her knees about to buckle underneath her and her eyes were to heavy to hold open as the endorphins pulsed through her body.

He pulled away completely, and pulled his hand out of her hair, letting it drift down to her back. Her brown eyes were heavy and barely open, her lips were pink and swollen, she looked dazed and as if she was spiralling down from a high she had been on.

"You okay, Sweetheart?" Jackson chuckled as she rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"Fine..just a little..." She broke off, stumbling to find the answer.

He pulled away and held her upper arms, "Go get ready, your birthday party starts in two hours."

Melissa nodded, kissed him one last time and went to get ready. She grabbed a pair of dark denim shorts, a loose tank top and a pair of gold gladiator sandals. She emerged a few minutes later and made her way to her vanity and turned her blow dryer on. Twenty minutes later her hair was silky smooth, tangle free and she was pulling it up into a ponytail. She slicked on some pink lip gloss, mascara and turned to Jackson with a smile.

"Alright, let's go see what everyone else is doing." Melissa smiled as he took her hand and they started down the stairs.

They found Nathan, Daley, Lex, Taylor and Eric waiting in the kitchen. Jackson's grip on Melissa tightened when he noticed Taylor standing in the kitchen wearing a flimsy tank top and a short mini-skirt that left little to the imagination.

"Jackson?" Melissa looked up at her best friend. "What's wrong?"

"Can you do me a favor?" Jackson whispered looking down at her.

"Sure what?" Melissa asked him softly, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Be clingy. I know you aren't normally but today be the clingy, possessive girlfriend that I'm glad you aren't. If Taylor gets me alone, I really don't want to find out what would happen." Jackson whispered, "So be ten different kinds of jealous and clingy today."

"Why Jackson, whatever do you mean?" Melissa smirked coyly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a harsh, bruising kiss. They pulled away slightly, "That jealous enough for you?"

"I don't know, I think we may have to try that again." Jackson mumbled as he nipped at her bottom lip, effectively pulling her back into a passionate, rough, bruising kiss. "Perfect."

"Good, now before I decide to kiss you senseless like you did me a few minutes ago, let's go in there and keep you out of Taylor's greedy clutches." Melissa smirked as she pranced into the kitchen. Jackson shook his head and laughed as he followed her.

"Hey Guys." Melissa greeted them brightly. "Uh Taylor, are coming to my house or going to a club?"

Taylor scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from Melissa. Jackson hid his chuckle in the top of Melissa's head as he planted a kiss there and everybody else snickered, even though they knew Taylor wouldn't be happy.

"Hey Mel, Happy Birthday!" Nathan greeted, his arm draped around Daley.

"Happy Birthday, Mel!" Daley grinned as she ruffled Lex's hair.

"Happy Birthday, Mel!" Eric smiled warmly, a change from his usual cocky grin. He nudged Taylor in the ribs and made her talk.

"Happy Birthday, Mel!" Taylor smiled, although everyone could tell the sugary sweet smile was fake.

Lex walked over to Melissa and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Happy Birthday, Mel!"

"Thank you, Lex." Melissa smiled as she ruffled Lex's hair before looking up at her friend, "Thank you, guys."

Jackson kept his eyes focused on Melissa, Nathan, Daley, Lex and Eric but avoided making any sort of contact-visual, vocal or otherwise-with Taylor. Nathan chuckled into Daley's hair when he noticed Taylor sulking as the attention focused on Melissa.

"Princess isn't happy." Nathan whispered to Daley, "Jackson's giving all of his attention to Melissa and is avoiding her like the plague."

Daley looked over at Taylor, who was pouting an overly-glossed pout, and Jackson and Melissa, who were bickering like the old married couple everyone thought them to be. She giggled to herself when she realized why Taylor had worn her flimsy, slightly stupid outfit that was not meant to be worn to someone's birthday-or anywhere in public really.

"So who wants lemonade? My mom made a fresh pitcher this morning." Melissa asked them, turning toward the cabinet behind her.

"I'll help you," Jackson smirked as he turned and opened the cabinet, "You can't reach them anyway."

Melissa smiled sweetly as she bent her arm and sent her elbow directly into his ribs. Jackson gasped as he grabbed his ribs with one hand and gripped the counter with the other hand. Melissa had really sharp elbows-something you'd think Jackson would remember before he decided to tease her about her height-or lack of really. He glared at the snickering and giggling group behind him before turning Melissa and found her easily getting six cups out of the cabinet.

"You're evil-pure, unadulterated evil." Jackson growled playfully.

"Aww now honey, don't be like that. You know I love you." Melissa smiled, patronizing him. "Now Jackson, just because I bruised your ego-and maybe a few other things, doesn't mean you get to call me things like evil."

The group snickered and giggled as she patronized him with a coy, pseudo-innocent grin, as if she had no idea what she was doing. Melissa batted her eyelashes flirtatiously and set her lips into a flirty grin as she stared up at her best friend and boyfriend.

"Rib-breaker," Jackson shot playfully.

"Name caller." Melissa shot back as she moved to get ice.

"Tease." Jackson retorted as he helped her fill the cups with ice and lemonade.

"Mean." Melissa smiled innocently.

"Meaner." Jackson grinned as he kept the game going.

"Meanest." Melissa smirked, "I win."

"Can you two stop bickering for five minutes and possibly finish our drinks?" Daley teased the bickering couple.

Jackson laughed as he finished pouring the lemonade into the glasses and passed them out around their friends. When everyone had drinks, Melissa led them into the living room where Tyler was still glued to his video game.

"Hey Tyler," Melissa called loudly as she kicked his ankle, "Why don't you go find something to do that's not...down here?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Tyler asked as he paused his video game.

"Oh and I don't know, get off of your lazy butt and help Dad." Melissa told him, smiling sweetly. "Just a thought."

"Ugh fine." Tyler grumbled as he turned off his game and got up, "Stupid teenagers."

"You are eighteen Tyler, not much older than me, so suggestion for you-shut your big mouth." Melissa yelled as he walked out of the door. "Geez, he's going to drive me crazy."

xxx

Sandy Wu smiled as she helped Daley twist the teal blue and glittery purple streamers together and hang them on the wooden fence that surrounded the backyard. The minute she had mentioned she needed help, Melissa's friends had jumped up, asked what they could do and went to work without hesitation or question. Nathan was helping Eric blow up balloons and put them up, Taylor was helping decorate the chairs with flowers and ribbons and had already decorated the table. Richard and Tyler had set up the tables and started piling them up with presents. Speakers had been strategically hidden throughout the yard, the grill had been set up and the food was ready to be cooked.

"I don't think Melissa's ever had friends willing to do this before." Sandy commented as her and Daley hung the streamers on the wooden fence.

"Melissa's the center of our group, the glue that holds us all together." Daley told her softly, "When we were on the island, Melissa kept the group from tearing each other to shreds like we wanted to do. She forced us to see it from each other's perspectives and find a compromise that would work for the whole group."

"Jackson really loves her." Sandy noted, as she taped the streamer in place.

"While we were on the island, they were basically the only two that ever saw eye-to-eye on anything and they went through a lot so it helped strengthen that relationship." Daley told her, "Melissa fell off of a cliff and later Jackson got sick from drinking some bad water. He rescued her so she took care of him and they've been together ever since. Usually where you found one, you'd find the other close by. When they went off together later after Abby came back, Eric told me that Jackson and Melissa stayed together the whole time. Jackson was extremely protective of her and she went on the defense if anybody tried to mess with him."

Nathan walked over and smiled at Sandy, "I heard you talking about Jackson and Melissa. He actually told me on the plane ride back that Melissa was his best friend. He asked me how I felt about him being so close with her."

"What'd you tell him?" Sandy asked out of curiosity.

"I told him that he had better take care of her and that I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather see her become best friends with, I also told him that if you want anyone for a best friend, Melissa's the one." Nathan told her softly, "He never would have made it without her. He almost left camp once, in the middle of a monsoon but Melissa stopped him. She told him that it didn't matter, that whatever it was, was over and that he didn't have to act like he didn't have people around him to help him deal with it. He stayed and after that, it was hard to find them without each other."

"It's hard to find them without each other now." Sandy laughed, "But Melissa's never been happier, so it doesn't really matter."

"I think it'd kill both of them if they lost each other." Daley laughed, "I'm not sure who'd go first-him or her."

"I think it'd be him, if he didn't have Melissa, I don't think he would make it." Nathan told her.

Sandy laughed as she hung the last of the streamers and stepped back to examine their work. "Okay guys, I think that just about does it, Nathan, text Jackson, tell him to bring Melissa down."

Nathan nodded as he pulled out his cell phone and sent a quick text to Jackson. While they were waiting for Jackson and Melissa-who were more than likely to caught up in each other to hear the phone-they cleaned up the plastic packaging from the streamers and other decorations.

xxx

_"...Been far away for far too long..." _

Jackson chuckled as he pulled away from his pouting girlfriend and grabbed his screaming cellphone. He looked at the screen and touched it a few times until the text messsage popped up and he was forced to pull completely away from his girlfriend.

_We're ready, bring her down. _

_-N_

"Okay, Mel, c'mon. They're ready for you." Jackson laughed as he opened the door. He watched as Melissa quickly fixed her hair, wiped her lipgloss off and put on some fresh lipgloss. He quickly wiped away the sticky pink shimmer from his lips and brushed his hand on his shorts.

Melissa grabbed his hand and led him down the stairs. As they stepped out of the door, they glanced around the yard at the work that everyone had done to decorate for Melissa's birthday. The decorations were in her favorite colors.

"Happy Birthday, Melissa!" Sandy smiled as she hugged her daughter.

"Thanks, Mom." Melissa smiled, "It's beautiful out here."

"Well I had help," Sandy smiled as she motioned to her daughter's group of friends, "I mentioned I need help, they asked me what they could do and did it without hesitation or question."

"Aww, thank you guys!" Melissa smiled at her friends.

"You're our little Mel, of course we were going to set up for your birthday!" Eric laughed as they waved her off. "Alright, let's get this party started!"

Melissa giggled as music poured out of speakers hidden throughout the yard. The song was familiar, a song that was very special to Melissa and Jackson especially. The song had gotten them through Jackson's trial for probation violation, week spent in juvie and time spent in a foster home before finally being pulled out by his father.

"I'm not to good at this," Jackson started, a familiar glint in his eyes.

Melissa laughed as she took his hands, "I'll help you."

Jackson laughed as he twirled her around and pulled her into his arms. The guitar poured through the speakers and Chad Kroeger's grovelly voice soon followed. They couldn't help but think of everything that they had been through, everything that this song had gotten them through.

"You know," Jackson started quietly as he tightened his grip on Melissa, "That week spent in juvie made me realize something."

"What?" Melissa asked him softly.

"It made me realize how much I truly do love you. You were there for me when nobody else was. You're my best friend, Melissa. Always." Jackson told her softly, "Sometimes I don't think I would have survived without you."

"Yes you would have," Melissa told him before playfully pulling the corners of her mouth up in a sly grin, "Now let's face it, it would have been boring and most certainly long without me, but you would have made it."

Jackson chuckled as he pressed his lips to hers for a quick, tender kiss before pulling away and whispering, "I love you, Melissa."

"I love you too, Jackson." Melissa smiled, "Or should I call you Cody?"

"You call me Cody, I'll pick you up and drop you in the pool." Jackson growled playfully.

"I'll bring you with me." Melissa told him sweetly. "Trust me, I could do it."

"I don't think you could," Jackson grinned kissing her again, "I have a present that I want to give you before you open all of your others."

He pulled away slightly and reached into his pocket. When he pulled his hand out, he has his fingers curled around something. He opened his palm and revealed a silver charm bracelet. There were five charms in total. The first one was of a bridge, the second of a tree, the third of a coconut, the fourth was a slightly larger charm of two hands with interlaced fingers and the last charm was of a music note.

"The bridge-because that's when I first saw you." He explained resting the small charm on the pad of his finger. He moved on to the second charm, "A tree because I was reading a book under a tree when you first talked to me."

"You never finished the book." Melissa laughed softly as she rested her head on his chest while he explained the meaning behind the rest of the charms.

"The coconut has several meanings-one we were making an SOS sign with coconuts when your tape was played and because it seemed like we were always eating coconuts or searching for them when we were together." Jackson chuckled as he moved on to the next charm, "The hands only have one meaning. We're there for each other. And the last charm of the music note is because music has gotten us through a lot."

"It's beautiful!" Melissa smiled as he wrapped the charm bracelet around her wrist and slid the toggle through the circle of the other end and pulled it to tighten it. "Thank you."

"Happy Birthday, baby girl." Jackson smiled as he kissed her again.

The wolf-whistles, cheers, music and the fact that she still had a table full of presents to open went completely ignored by the couple as they continued the passionate kiss. As his arms slid around her and held her body against his and her arms slid around his neck, the thought occurred to her that this may have been one of the best birthdays ever.

xxx

That night, after her friends had left, the decorations had been cleaned up and the pile of presents had been carried up to her room, Melissa sat against the headboard of her bed, propped up by pillows, eyes intently focused on the charm bracelet.

"Melissa, go to bed, honey." Sandy laughed, "You can stare at the charm bracelet tomorrow."

"Good night, Mom." Melissa smiled as she settled into the bed and turned her bedside lamp off.

"Good night, Melissa." Sandy smiled as she closed the door.

She stared at the silver bracelet, glinting in the moonlight, until her eyes were too heavy to keep open. She let her eyes slide closed, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she settled into a deep, comfortable sleep with a certain blue-eyed boy invading her dreams.

* * *

**HOLY CRAP! It's done! I'm so freaking happy! Second story I've finished in a couple of weeks. So this might turn into a series, I'm not sure because I seem to open up new plot lines with every story. My other story, Shattered Lives and Broken Hearts is going to be put on hold on this site while I edit, re-vamp and I may change the name. I might even write a third and final story in the saga, with the name **_**Mending **_**as its working title. **

**To my best fanfiction friend TheOnceAnonymous14, this one is for you girl! Your charm bracelet idea was brilliant and worked perfectly! Your ideas are always brilliant and I hope the way I write them does them justice! **

**Side Note: Apparently, and this news to me, the incredibly sexy Johnny Pacar decided to grow his hair out a bit. I didn't know this until I started following him on twitter and saw his picture. If there was ever a man that could make messy hair look good, it would be him. I'm pretty sure that some of the positive adjectives I thought of are illegal in all fifty states and several countries. **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


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